Tag: GreatLakesNews
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EAC Leaders to Discuss South Sudan Admission
East African Leades are expected to discuss about admission of South Sudan into the larger regional bloc.
The five presidents of the East African Community states will convene in Nairobi November 30 for the 14th ordinary summit of heads of state.
Discussions on East Africa’s Infrastructure will be a top item on the agenda.
The summit will be preceded by a presidential retreat on infrastructure on Thursday 29 November and the launch ceremonies of the new EAC headquarters and the rehabilitated Arusha-Namanga-Athi River Road, in Arusha and Athi River town respectively.
A statement from the EAC secretariat says both ceremonies will take place on Wednesday 28 November.
“At Friday’s summit meeting, the heads of state are expected to consider the annual report of the council of ministers for the period November 2011, November 2012, a progress report of the council of ministers on the operationalization of the single customs territory,” read the statement.
Among the other items due for consideration are reports of the council of ministers on the way forward on the political federation as well as on the implementation of the summit’s directive on extending the jurisdiction of the East African Court of Justice.
A meeting of the Council of Ministers in preparation for the Summit concluded on Tuesday in Nairobi.
Thereafter the presidents are expected to proceed to Tanzania to officially open the newly constructed EAC headquarters in Arusha, Tanzania before launching the rehabilitated Arusha-Namanga-Athi River Road in Athi River Town in Kenya.
Since 2008, the heads of state have identified infrastructure as a major enabler of development of the region’s integration and overall socio-economic development.
Again emphasis will be on priority regional infrastructure projects as well as funding options.
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Ethnic Killings on Rise in South Sudan
In South Sudan, Women and children are increasingly targeted in a surge of violence in Jonglei state, riven by ethnic killings, a rebellion and an army crackdown, Doctors Without Borders said Tuesday.
“Tens of thousands of men, women and children have been repeatedly attacked, killed and displaced, with devastating impacts on their lives,” the report by the medical aid agency MSF read, documenting an upsurge in violence since 2011.
“The lives and health of Jonglei’s population are hanging by a thread,” said Chris Lockyear, MSF’s operational manager, warning of a further “spike in violence” in the approaching dry season.
Violence includes an escalation of traditional cattle raiding between rival tribes into a wave of brutal revenge attacks, exacerbated by an easy availability of automatic weapons.
The nature of the attacks is shifting, MSF said, documenting multiple cases of rape in the vast and grossly impoverished state, while four of MSF’s six clinics in Jonglei have also been looted or destroyed since 2011.
“While appropriating cattle used to be the main aim of the attacks, nowadays civilians are targeted, with women and children making up a large proportion of victims treated by MSF teams,” the report read.
More than 2,600 people have been killed in Jonglei in the past 18 months, according to the United Nations.
“They set huts on fire and threw children in the fire,” said one 55-year-old woman treated by MSF, whose testimony of an attack by unidentified gunmen is quoted in the report.
“Because I am old, I cannot run fast and they killed the children that were with me,” she said. “If the child can run, they will shoot them with the gun; if they are small and cannot run, they will kill them with a knife.”
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Zonke Thrills Nairobi Fans
In Kenya, Zonke pulled a Mariah Carey at the recent Tusker Malt 100 Club concert at the Nairobi Arboretum on Thursday night.
The soul singer boasted the height and depth of her vocal range to catch the crowd’s attention, after the rains proved a minor distraction at the venue.
In a well organised event, exclusive to Tusker Malt 100 club members, Zonke was eager to get on stage with her full band and two back-up vocalists.
Dressed in a shimmering golden jacket that hugged a white vest atop faded blue jeans and red stilettos, Zonke poured out her soul to the audience via her very revealing album ‘Ina Ethe’.
The biggest song of the evening was the ever popular Jik’Izinto, sung in a mix of English and Xhosa (her native tongue), followed by the catchy track ‘Feelings’.
Zonke tried to accommodate her Kenyan fans by belting out more of her English songs.
Her soulful music had just the right amount of jazz infused into it, carrying on from Kenyan guitarist Eddie Grey who was the opening act at the event.
“I’m honoured to be performing in Kenya,” said the bubbly musician. “I’m bringing you a little bit of South Africa.”
Close to 40 new members were registered to join the Tusker Malt 100 Club at the event, and they will be receiving exclusive access to several shows lined up by Tusker Malt with African music as the main theme.
Wirestory
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Kenya Politics: Uhuru, Ruto Declare Coalition
Kenya’s Deputy Prime Minister Uhuru Kenyatta and Eldoret North MP William Ruto on Tuesday struck a coalition deal, ahead of the December 4 deadline for the filing of pre-election pacts with the Registrar of Political Parties.
Sources close to the two said that the politicians had clinched a deal in which the Deputy Prime Minister will be the presidential candidate and Ruto his running mate.
Later, the communications director at Kenyatta’s office, Munyori Buku, sent a statement to newsrooms saying; “The two leaders have agreed on an alliance whose goals will be national unity, prosperity for all Kenyans, reconciliation and offers a definite and clear roadmap of making Kenya an economic powerhouse in the region, Africa and the world in the next decade.”
He did not divulge details of the pact which he said will be unveiled at a rally planned for Nakuru on Sunday.
“A team from the two parties is working on the programme and plans for the day. Two caravans – one starting at Kinungi near Naivasha and the other at Kuresoi – will start the journey to Nakuru. Many other like-minded party leaders, MPs, aspirants for various seats, councillors and religious, business, women, youth, cooperative union, farmers and civil society leaders have been invited and will be present,” Buku indicated.
A section of elders from counties in the North Rift region earlier dismissed an alliance between Ruto’s URP (United Republican Party) and Kenyatta’s TNA (The National Alliance), saying there has never been proper consultation of all stakeholders.
According to a poll released by Ipsos Synovate last Tuesday, Kenyatta would win the election in case of a runoff.
Most of the surveys have also showed that Kenyatta is the second most preferred candidate after Prime Minister Raila Odinga while Ruto has frequently occupied the third position.
However, Kenyatta and Ruto are faced with obstacles in their bid to occupy State House.
The leaders have a case pending in court challenging their eligibility to vie for political office over integrity queries, as stipulated in Chapter Six of the Constitution.
The bid to block them stems from cases the two are facing for crimes against humanity before the International Criminal Court.
The ICC has however said the two are free to run for political office and has listed their cases for hearing in April, after Kenya goes to the polls on March 4, 2013.
WireStory
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Kabila Urged to Arrest Gen. Kumba
A congolese group calling itself ‘Forces novatrices pour l’union et la solidarité (FONUS)’, has called on Kabila’s government to resign.
FONUS says Kinshasa government should resign for gross “irresponsibility, incompetence and cowardice.”
The FONUS group also asked, Sunday 25 November, the President of the Republic, Joseph Kabila, to arrest Gen. Gabriel Amisi Kumba -Chief of Staff the army of the DRC that was suspended from duty since November 22.
Gen. Kumba is accused in a UN report of experts of selling weapons to armed groups operating in the eastern DRC.
On Sunday, during a press conference in Kinshasa, the FONUS Acting Secretary General, Emery Ukundji,noted that a ‘simple suspension is both inappropriate and unreliable.’
“Given the seriousness of that [selling weapons and ammunition to the rebels], the FONUS ask the Head of State to arrest him and the competent judicial authorities to hold a public trial without delay because the list of traitors is very long,” He said.
Ukundji also proposed that the M23 requests are forwarded by the President to Parliament for debate and the DRC declares a state of emergency.
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Moi’s Son Arrested
Philip Moi the son of former Kenyan President Danied Arap Moi was on Monday arrested at his Nairobi home and is expected to be arraigned in court.
In July, his estranged wife succeeded in an application to extend jurisdiction under which her husband can be arrested.
Court had previously ordered Philip Moi to pay his estranged wife Rossana Pluda Sh500,000 for upkeep payment and children maintenance.
Justice GBM Kariuki allowed an application by Ms Rossana Pluda, through her lawyer Judy Thongori, seeking to extend the jurisdiction under which Mr Moi can be arrested for failing to pay her maintenance fee as had been ordered by the court, to be extended to cover the entire country.
Initially, Mr Moi could only be placed under arrest within Muthaiga area, Nairobi.
Mr Moi had been ordered to pay Ms Pluda Sh250,000 a month for her upkeep and the maintenance of their two children. However, Mr Moi failed to comply.
The application filed by Ms Pluda Moi, on July 4, 2012 required that the orders of the arrest and detention in civil jail at the industrial area, Nairobi that were issued against Mr Moi for execution by the officers in charge of the police station nearest Mr Moi’s place of residence be expanded to include the order that the Commissioner of Police to execute such arrest whenever the respondent maybe in the Republic of Kenya.